Bambu Lab R1 55W CO2 laser cutter and engraver opens pre-orders at $2,499
Bambu Lab's R1 55W CO2 laser cutter and engraver is priced at $2,499 in the US and £2,249 in the UK, with pre-orders starting September 22, 2026 and October shipping, according to a TechRadar review that praised its cutting quality but said Bambu Suite software needs refinement.
TechRadar said the R1 is Bambu Lab's first dedicated product outside 3D printing. The company previously offered a small-capacity engraver in the H2D, which combined a cutter and 3D printer. The R1 uses a 55W CO2 laser rather than the diode lasers used in the H2D. TechRadar said CO2 technology lets the machine work with a wider range of materials, most notably clear acrylic and glass, and provides considerably more cutting power; most diodes currently top out at 40W, although more powerful heads exist. The review said the R1 is closer to machines such as the xTool P2 that TechRadar has previously tested.
The desktop laser cutter market is not new. TechRadar noted that xTool, LaserPecker, Glowforge and Creality have already demonstrated how far enclosed desktop laser cutters have progressed in recent years. Five years ago, many smaller laser engravers were open-frame machines that required assembly and more caution, the review said. Fully enclosed machines are now where the technology is, with some good options at reasonable prices. Bambu Lab brings knowledge from 3D printing and its own approach to automation, according to the review.
The R1 handles focusing, material positioning and optical alignment, with cameras, lasers and encoders helping the machine understand where the material is and where the toolhead is moving. TechRadar said this looked great on paper because it would speed up workflows, but only during testing did the reviewer realize what a difference it can make.
The R1 has a 600 x 300mm working area, expandable to 600 x 3000mm with the optional Conveyor. It has a maximum speed of 1,000mm/s and maximum acceleration of 20,000mm/s². Positioning accuracy is under 0.2mm, and absolute motion accuracy is under 0.1mm across 600mm with the Vision Encoder. The machine measures 940 x 560 x 200mm, weighs 33.5kg, and has a maximum input power of 780W. It is Class 1 in its standard enclosed configuration.
The standard lens is short-focus, with a 0.11mm spot; medium- and long-focus lenses have spots of 0.17mm and 0.19mm. Maximum cutting capacity is 18mm black walnut with the medium or long-focus lens and 20mm acrylic. The R1 can cut and engrave wood, acrylic including clear acrylic, leather, fabric, paper, EVA foam and shell, and can engrave glass, ceramic and coated metal. It runs Bambu Suite software on Windows and macOS and offers dual-band Wi-Fi and USB connectivity.
TechRadar used the R1 for around three weeks, mostly cutting 3mm basswood ply and acrylic, but also testing MDF, leather, paper, ceramic, glass, coated metal, and irregular wooden objects. The review found the hardware exceptionally polished. Bambu Suite is good, but TechRadar said it still has some catching up to do to realize its and the machine's full potential. The review's verdict said basswood ply results were notably good, while flat sheet acrylic and engraving onto curved objects showed how good the machine is, even if the software needs a little more polish.
The review listed exceptional positioning accuracy, automatic laser alignment and superb cutting quality as strengths. It listed software needing refinement, limited support slats and expensive optional accessories as drawbacks. The short-focus lens is included. The Riser Base, Conveyor, Rotary attachment, medium- and long-focus lenses, Vision Encoder, E1 Pro Air Purifier and Auto Fire Extinguishing System are optional extras.